(NEWS) LONDON, UK, 2026-Jul-29 — /Travel PR News/ — TUI River Cruises has reached a major construction milestone with TUI Luzia, the first purpose-built ship created specifically for the brand, touching water for the first time in Kladovo, Serbia.
The float out took place at Concordia Damen’s partner yard, Kladovo Shipyard, and signals that the vessel has now entered the final stage of construction. Scheduled for delivery in June 2027, TUI Luzia is expected to spend her inaugural season sailing on Portugal’s Douro Valley, one of Europe’s most recognisable river cruise regions.
According to details released by TUI River Cruises, the ship will be dedicated to Douro itineraries from summer 2027, extending the brand’s portfolio into a destination strongly associated with vineyard landscapes, historic towns, terraced hillsides and slow-paced river travel.
For TUI River Cruises, the significance of TUI Luzia goes beyond a single new ship. Until now, the brand has grown through existing vessels and fleet expansion, but a purpose-built ship allows the company to shape the onboard experience more closely around its own customer base, routes and operating style.
The vessel will accommodate 111 passengers in 56 cabins, including Super French Balcony cabins, Balcony cabins, French Balcony Suites and a single cabin. Like other TUI River Cruises ships, TUI Luzia will offer Full Board Plus as standard, with guests able to upgrade to all-inclusive.
The ship will feature four decks, including a top deck with a shallow pool and sun loungers. Dining and social spaces will include Cinder, a bar and dining area offering drinks and self-serve lunches; Novo, the main lounge bar; Retreat, a quieter hybrid space with a juice bar and secondary lounge; and Sorriso, the main restaurant serving meals from breakfast through dinner.
A particularly destination-relevant feature is Vinha, a Portuguese-inspired alfresco dining area. By day, it will serve as a relaxed space for guests to unwind, while in the evening it will offer à la carte dining. For a ship operating exclusively on the Douro, this kind of venue gives TUI a way to connect the onboard experience more directly with the region’s food, wine and outdoor lifestyle.
The Douro is a natural fit for river cruising. Unlike some European waterways where itineraries are shaped around larger cities, the Douro experience is often about landscape, wine culture, smaller settlements and the rhythm of the river itself. For TUI, placing a newly built ship in this region gives the brand a clearer leisure-led proposition for guests looking for a softer alternative to larger ocean cruising or busier city-focused river routes.
Katy Berzins, Head of River Cruises at TUI River Cruises, described the float out as a significant milestone for both the brand and its partnership with Concordia Damen. She said TUI Luzia marks a new chapter as the company’s first purpose-built ship and will open up new experiences for existing and new customers when it arrives on the Douro in summer 2027.
Concordia Damen CEO Chris Kornet said the ship reflects the shared ambition to bring innovative, future-ready designs to the European river cruise market, combining the shipbuilder’s engineering expertise with TUI River Cruises’ expansion plans.
Bookings are already open, with prices starting from £1,219 per person for the seven-night Douro Discovery itinerary on TUI Luzia, including flights from London Gatwick or Manchester to Porto via third-party airlines.
The launch forms part of a wider growth phase for TUI River Cruises. The brand currently operates four adult-only ships on European waterways — TUI Isla, TUI Skyla, TUI Maya and TUI Aria — as well as two ships in Egypt, TUI Al Horeya and TUI Bahareya. Another European ship, TUI Elara, is due to begin operating in March 2027, while two additional new-build river cruise ships are planned for European waterways in 2028.
For travellers, TUI Luzia’s arrival will add another option for exploring the Douro by river. For TUI River Cruises, the float out is a clear marker of intent: the brand is not only adding capacity, but developing ships designed around where it wants to grow next.
